Mississippi officials look to limit short school days

JACKSON — Mississippi schoolchildren will be getting off early from school a lot less, if state leaders have their way.

The state Department of Education has proposed limiting school districts to only two early dismissal days each year.

Right now, the state’s 152 school districts can dismiss children early as often as they want, as long as they use the rest of the day for teacher training. However, state officials believe that many schools are letting not only students, but teachers, go home early, said Paula Vanderford, the state’s accreditation director.

Mississippi rules say that students have to get 180 days of classroom instruction. The new rules would say that schools could dismiss after 60 percent of the day only twice a year.